CPG Insiders

On today's episode of CPG Insiders, Mark + Justin delve into the critical role of Amazon in the CPG landscape, emphasizing how it's shaping consumer behavior and expectations. They discuss strategies for effectively using Amazon as a platform, from choosing the right fulfillment options to navigating the competitive marketplace. They also address the importance of adapting to Amazon's influence on customer experience, from product discovery to post-purchase interactions. For CPG brands looking to thrive in today's e-commerce-driven world, this episode provides valuable insights into leveraging Amazon's vast reach while protecting and growing their brand.

On today's episode of CPG Insiders, Mark + Justin address the critical topic of legal navigation within the CPG industry. They underline the importance of understanding FDA and FTC guidelines to prevent regulatory pitfalls, especially when making product claims. They discuss the need for specialized legal counsel to aid in classifying products appropriately and ensuring compliance with advertising standards. The episode acts as a cautionary yet informative guide for CPG entrepreneurs to emphasize the proactive management of legal risks and the value of professional support in achieving business longevity and success.

In this episode of CPG Insiders, the focus turns to the critical importance of intellectual property (IP) in the CPG world. Mark + Justin explore how IP serves as a vital asset that can greatly enhance a company's market value, drawing parallels to real estate. They cover the essential aspects of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets, underlining the necessity of safeguarding innovation. The conversation also touches on the evolution of business valuation from tangible to intangible assets, underscoring the strategic advantage of IP. This episode is packed with key insights for CPG entrepreneurs aiming to utilize intellectual property effectively to protect and expand their businesses.

In todays episode of CPG Insiders Mark + Justin tackle an essential question for entrepreneurs: Do you have a single product or the foundation for a broader business? They delve into the critical differences between having a successful item on platforms like Amazon and building a sustainable, scalable business capable of thriving in the competitive retail landscape. Through insightful examples and analysis of market dynamics, Mark and Justin offer valuable guidance for evaluating your product's potential and strategizing for long-term growth. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to understand the nuances of product versus business in the CPG industry.

On today’s episode, Mark + Justin dive into the game changing strategies from the book “10x is Easier than 2x” by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. They explore the revolutionary concept that aiming for tenfold growth is not only more exciting, but often easier than the traditional goal of doubling. Drawing from their extensive experience, Mark + Justin discuss how this 10x mindset shifts the approach to business, pushing beyond the limits of incremental growth to embrace innovation and bold thinking. This episode is packed with practical advice, real-world examples, and insights into how entrepreneurs can apply 10x thinking to achieve extraordinary success. Whether you’re looking to revolutionize your business or personal life, this episode offers the inspiration and tools to think bigger and achieve more.

This episode, Mark + Justin welcome back master broker, David Biernbaum, to discuss his experience with ECRM (Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing) and its impact on the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, especially for entrepreneurial brands. ECRM has changed the industry by offering category-specific events where new companies get a chance to interact directly with retail buyers - significantly increasing opportunities for small brands. The guys also talk about how to determine if your brand is ready for ECRM and the steps you can take to prepare for the event. About David Biernbaum: David is a nationally acclaimed consumer products retail business consultant and master broker who has brought more than 200 successful consumers brands to market. Learn more about David Biernbaum & Associates.

This episode, Mark meets with Lauren Stiebing of LS International to discuss mentorship. The right mentor can fast track your learning + help you take your business to the next level. Lauren shares her insights into how to connect with the right mentor and what kind of commitment it takes to build an impactful mentor-mentee relationship. Plus, Mark + Lauren talk about common obstacles and goal-setting for purposeful work together with a mentor. About Lauren Stiebing: In 2015, Lauren founded LS International, an organization that partners with global consumer companies to help them find, retain, and develop their executive teams to face the challenges of tomorrow. LS International also sponsors the LEAD Network, which promotes the advancement of diversity within the Consumer + Retail Industry. Check out LS International's knowledge center for more info and resources. https://ls-international.com/about-us/ https://ls-international.com/knowledge-center/ https://ls-international.com/about-us/lauren-stiebing/

This episode, Mark + Justin talk entrepreneurlife and the age-old "too much to do, not enough time" problem with Andrew Mellen, author of Calling Bullsh*t Busy. Andrew teaches entrepreneurs, businesses, and everyday people how to leverage time management + simplification to create freedom through organization. Deeper than just 'getting organized', Andrew fosters real transformation by changing how people think, feel, and interact with time, money, and stuff. Plus he shares easy, actionable steps you can take right now to address time-productivity obstacles in your own business. A great listen for anybody looking to take more control of their time + improve productivity to enhance their quality of life. About Andrew Mellen: "The Most Organized Man in America", Andrew is a best-selling author with ideas featured on Oprah and TedX. As one of the pioneers of professional organizing + productivity, Andrew travels the world speaking, teaching, and coaching individuals and global brands including the New York Mets, Genentech, American Express, Time, Inc., and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. For more about Andrew or to enroll in one of his programs, check out his website.

This episode, Dr. Mark Young is joined by Randy Mercer, Chief Product Officer at 1WorldSync, to talk about product content - what it is, why you need it as a retail vendor, and how product content platforms help both brands and retailers drive sales. For brands entering their first retailer, getting product content to stores to help them operate their supply chain and ecommerce experience is critical! Learn how product content platforms help brands build that bridge with retailers. Plus, how brands can leverage product content platforms for big benefits like telling their product story across multiple retail chains, providing marketing copy + images to support retailer efforts, informing buyers + store management, and even helping brands as they expand into new retailers. As the leading product content platform, 1WorldSync provides solutions that simplify the creation and distribution of product content. Over 14,000 companies and retailers utilize the 1WorldSync platform, including Walmart, Amazon, Google Shopping, Target, Kroger + Walgreens. About Randy Mercer: Randy is an omnichannel product content expert with over 15 years of industry experience. He leads 1WorldSync's global product management and solution architecture teams, aligning the company's portfolio with current customer needs and emerging market trends.

This episode, Mark + Justin are joined by David Biernbaum to talk about Rite Aid's brace for bankruptcy and projections to close hundreds of stores. They dig into what the progression of this bankruptcy filing could look like over the next few months for vendors + consumers. Most importantly, the guys discuss the impact on suppliers working with Rite Aid now. How brands that currently distribute through Rite Aid can curb potential losses and mitigate coming risk, what it means for future distribution of brands just beginning at Rite Aid, plus what payment scenarios might play out for suppliers. About David Biernbaum: David is a nationally acclaimed consumer products retail business consultant and master broker who has brought more than 200 successful consumers brands to market. Learn more about David

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark and Justin introduce the company that is revolutionizing the new product entry process into brick-and-mortar retailers, PharmaVision! If you have a health-enhancing product with limited distribution or looking to gain your first major retailer, this is the must-listen-to episode for you! For new listeners of the show, Mark and Justin provide a brief overview of the long and laborious process of how products gain brick-and-mortar distribution today. They then discuss how with PharmaVision, brands can simplify that process, gain the ability to be on shelf in just a few months, and have the opportunity to make a profit doing it!

Today, the guys talk pricing and price strategies. How, with inflation - your product isn't competing with just competitors, but with a gallon of gas, or other basic necessities. We have an excellent guest Ben Reich that we jump right in with. Tune in and give it a listen. Ben Reich is the Co-founder and CEO of Datasembly (backed by well-known VCs). The company tracks product prices across 200+ retailers representing 150k+ stores across North America which is incredibly timely given the current economic climate and inflation issues. Currently, food inflation is outpacing salary growth and CPGs + retailers are scrambling to figure out pricing strategies to keep consumers shopping. That’s where Datasembly comes in. Recently, the company cracked the baby formula story wide open using their proprietary platform and technology to uncover shortages plaguing stores nationwide. https://datasembly.com/

This week’s exciting episode deviates from our standard entrepreneurial guest, instead we have a former FBI agent hostage negotiator, Chris Voss. Chris Voss is also the author of the world renown book “Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It” – recounting the practices and tactics Chris used in hostage negations and how it can be applied to business negotiations. Mark, Justin, and Chris breakdown the process of becoming a hero for the buyers we’re selling to. Showcasing our desire to collaborate to mutually succeed. It’s not a simple, linear path, but Chris believes uncertainty is an opportunity for our genuine curiosity to allow us to be open to new ideas that can navigate us down a path to success we never would have imagined before. You will learn how to become a trusted advisor for your buyer. We discuss how Chris’ tactics in hostage negotiations can be used to achieve your marketing goals. https://www.amazon.com/Never-Split-Difference-Negotiating-Depended/dp/0062407805/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1689265994&sr=8-1

This week we welcome the charming and brilliant Joe Polish. Mark and Justin discuss his New York Times best-selling book “What’s in it for Them?” Joe Polish is one of the most sought after marketers alive today, known for his ability to connect with almost anyone on the planet. Joe continues to be a prominent figure in the world of business and entrepreneurship. He’s the co-founder of two popular podcasts: 10XTalk and iLoveMarketing. Mark, Justin, and Joe breakdown the power of asking “What’s in it for them?” in every interaction in business and life. Starting with the foundational elements of genuine curiosity and authenticity we can become pain detectives to give value on the spot. You will learn how to ensure that your offer is always bigger than your ask to attract the people you want and repel the ones you don’t. We discuss how these tools are used in marketing and in everyday life to achieve your goals.

For today’s episode we welcome our guest, the owner of Sweet Leaf, Michal May. Michael recounts his father’s incredible journey starting the company. We learn about alternatives to sugars, and the laborious process of getting FDA approval. Mark, Justin, and Michael discuss the lessons they’ve learned that are crucial for the success of starting a company. Michael talks about applying his military strategy training to being an entrepreneur and the challenges COVID has provided for CPG products getting on the shelves of retailers – and all the necessary preparation and planning that goes into it. https://www.sweetleaf.com/ Amazon Link - https://www.amazon.com/stores/SweetLeaf/page/1FBD77B3-A43C-42DE-A6C4-24317C4230D6?ref_=ast_bln

This Show’s Notes Mark is in sunny Florida for today’s show, and Justin is in an ice storm in Detroit. Mark let’s us know a little about our guest David Biernbaum. The guys jump right in to how the pandemic changed meeting. From retailers conducting business differently, to ECRM being digital. Pre-Pandemic, all the retailers would have an annual review. There would be meetings set up, and we would show what we are trying to do, and we would fight to get our products on their shelves. But now…its all virtual meetings, from Zoom to Teams, it is near impossible to get a face to face meeting. There is a whole different way in doing business with retailers. There are ways to turn this to your advantage, but you need to know some tricks. You will still use a logical order in presenting your brand, but you need to know who is in the room with you (the virtual room) and as a courtesy, you need to let them know who is in your room. Since most of these meetings are being hosted from someone’s house. Don’t be sitting on your lazy boy in the living room while your kids run around on camera. Listen in for more tips and insight from the Guys and David. https://biernbaum.com/ https://www.instagram.com/davidbiernbaum/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbiernbaum/

Today’s Episode These shows are essentially conversations that we, at the Agency have every week. The core of these shows come from meetings we have taken with clients. If we get three people asking us the same questions in a week, there has to be other people who would benefit from knowing this information. Every show here is built on something someone asked. Mark and Justin dive into explaining different types of clinical trials How to go about our own Clinical Trial Get FTC Lawyer before you make claims Use professionals, this is not something to do on your own Dan Sullivan's Book https://www.amazon.com/Who-Not-How-Accelerating-Teamwork/dp/B08KYKR23H/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3POTKBED3VZFS&keywords=who+not+how+dan+sullivan&qid=1674233025&sprefix=who+not+how+%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-1

Content Outline For Today's Show Segment 1: When we have increased costs and increased store brand sales - do not stop advertising Segment 2: The odds that you are the only one product in market that can do what you can do is very unlikely Segment 3: When you cut advertising and marketing, you reduce your future value - momentum matters If you have any questions, you can contact us through jandhlabs.com We appreciate everyone listening, please leave us a review on the platform you engage in podcasts. We cannot tell you how much we appreciate reviews, it helps us reach more listeners and entrepreneurs like yourself.

Content Outline: Segment 1: Foundational Info for Brand Managers Segment 2: What are the Common Mistakes Brand Managers Make Segment 3: Peer to Peer Interaction and Sessions with Kevin’s team Kolbe Info - https://www.kolbe.com/ Guest Biography: Kevin is a trained educator with 20 years of experience as a CPG executive. Since founding Gurulocity in 2016, he's been empowering brand managers to think and act independently to accelerate the growth of their brands, teams, and careers by providing marketing training and consulting services to many of the country's leading CPG organizations. In doing this, Kevin has helped his clients realize over $1B in new revenue and has trained more than 1,000 brand managers. He is also a featured instructor for the American Marketing Association, lectures at the IU Kelley School of Business, and has been featured in Ad Age, Forbes, Fast Company, Business Insider, and the CMO Council. Email: knamaky@gurulocity.com Website: https://gurulocity.com Social links (Twitter/Instagram/SnapChat/Facebook): LinkedIn >> https://www.linkedin.com/company/gurulocity Twitter >> https://twitter.com/gurulocity

Justin had so much more to talk about to a past guest, Dr. Sarah Marion the Director of Syndicated Research at Murphy Research. She was kind enough to give us, and YOU some more time to dive into some of the data that makes Justin Smile!!!